Is worship becoming too casual?
Occasionally I field questions on various church issues, and one I received recently is quite relevant for all pastors and church leaders.
It concerned things getting too lax at this person’s church. Things like increasingly casual dress, people eating breakfast biscuits and drinking coffee during worship and folks checking their texts and email during services.
“Where are we are we going with this?” the writer asked.
Issue of concern
I share this individual’s concern about this casual trend. When the prophet Isaiah saw the Lord lifted high and lifted up in the temple, he cried out, “Woe is me; I’m unclean, I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people with unclean lips” (Isaiah 6:5). Isaiah wasn’t cavalier about being in the presence of the holy, all-powerful Creator.
I want to share two conversations about this matter and hopefully serve as a peacemaker in this ongoing conflict. The first conversation came the only time I ever met Henry Blackaby, author of the popular Bible study, Experiencing God.
I asked him what he thought of preachers who dressed casually in the pulpit. He replied, “They just don’t understand the holiness of God.” Dr. Blackaby was in his 60s at the time.
The second conversation was with Kyle Idleman, author of the best-selling book Not A Fan. Kyle will replace Dave Stone as senior pastor of Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky next year.
Kyle joined the teaching team at Southeast Christian at 26. He asked if he could preach without a coat and tie because doing so made him feel hypocritical. And, he feared not relating to his generation.
“Kyle, we’re worshiping Almighty God here,” I said. “If you were going to visit the president of the United States, don’t you think you’d wear a suit?”
“Probably not, if the president were my dad,” he answered gently.
I couldn’t think of a biblical response! So I gave Kyle permission to eliminate the coat and tie.
Two schools of thought
Obviously, there are two schools of thought here. One is that we are worshiping the Creator of the universe who is to be reverenced. The other is that since Jesus died an atoning death on the cross, we have been adopted into the family of God; we can come relaxed into the presence of a loving, accepting heavenly Father.
It helps if we understand the significant generational differences in attitude toward dress. The younger generation emphasizes the importance of being authentic and comfortable. They often see “dressing up” as an attempt to impress others. The older generation regards dress as a means of being at our best and a demonstration of respect for others. To older people, to dress down at a formal occasion is considered selfish and disrespectful.
It’s also helpful to understand differences in attitude toward the purpose of the Christian assembly.
Many younger church leaders regard the primary purpose of Sunday morning services as evangelism. The more they can make unbelievers feel comfortable, the more likely they will relate to the church and accept the gospel.
More traditional ministers regard the primary purpose of the Sunday morning worship service is to worship God. The main focus is on honoring God, not relating to the seeker.
Communicating expectations
In my opinion, church leaders would be wise to clarify the rationale behind their assembly and communicate what is expected on the part of the congregation.
Most of us have attended evening vesper services at a Christian camp when we dressed very informally and yet genuinely praised God. Most of us have also attended traditional services where God was honored and people were saved.
However, when congregations bicker over being too casual or too formal, the Holy Spirit is quenched and little is accomplished.
I think it’s possible to maintain a healthy balance. Although I’m not a big advocate for casual dress, I’m hard-pressed to find a scripture to back up my preferences. Styles do change.
Simon Peter didn’t preach in a suit. So while I prefer formal attire for Sunday worship I’m determined to practice the slogan, “In doctrine, unity; in opinion, liberty; in all things, charity . . .”
May we all be charitable, no matter what our view on this topic.
Photo source: unsplash
 | Bob Russell became the pastor of Southeast Christian Church at just 22 years old. That small congregation of 120 members became one of the largest churches in America, with 18,000 people attending the four worship services every weekend in 2006 when Bob retired. Now through Bob Russell Ministries, Bob continues to preach at churches; conferences throughout the United States, provide guidance for church leadership, mentor other ministers and author Bible study videos for use in small groups. Learn More » |
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